CIRCULAR NO. 104 NOVEMBER 1951 COTTON PRODUCTION PRACTICES MIe LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA of 4/aa STATION EXPERIMENT AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE POLYTECHNIC of de ALABAMA E. V. Smith, Director Auburn, Alabama In cooperation with of AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT UNITED STATES ECONOMICS BUREAU of AGRICULTURAL CONTENTS Page DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE FARMS------------------------------------5 COTTON PRODUCTION PRACTICES -------------------------------- 7 Land preparation --------------------- 8 Seed, seeding rate, planting, and spacing-9 Fertilization ---------------------------12 14 Cultivation and weed control -Insect control----------------------------------14 Method and time of harvesting ------------------------ 16 LABOR AND POWER REQUIREMENTS----------------------------------17 ------------------------------Use of power --------Usual labor requirements ------------------------------- 17 18 Time of operation----------------------------------------------19 Variation from usual operations ----------------------------- 19 Variations in time required to perform usual op eration s - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -20 Limitations and effects of mechanization, and possibilities of further changes ----------------------- 21 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS------------------------------------------28 -- - - - - - - - - - ----- APPENDIX-- 26 FIRST PRINTING 4M, NOVEMBER 1951 COTTON PRODUCTION PRACTICES he LOWER COASTAL PLAIN in AREA 4 41lasa* R. WAYNE ROBINSON, Assistant Agricultural Economist** AMONG THE PRINCIPAL cotton-producing areas of Alabama is the Lower Coastal Plain. For many years, cotton and peanuts have been the major cash crops produced in this area. In recent years, however, the relative importance of cotton has declined in terms of both acreage and income. Cotton acreage harvested has been reduced more than 74 per cent during the last two decades. In 1944, however, 55 per cent of the Lower Coastal Plain farmers were still producing cotton.' Total cotton production in recent years has decreased on the average 54 per cent from the average annual production of 20 years earlier. Decreased cotton acreages have been partly offset by increases in yield per acre, Appendix Table 1. In the Lower Coastal Plain Area of Alabama, high production costs, high labor requirements, maintenance of satisfactory farm incomes, and maintenance and improvement of soil resources are major problems facing cotton producers. Farmers, therefore, must seriously consider (1) all possible ways of increasing cotton yields, increasing production efficiency, and lowering costs of production; and (2) the addition or expansion of enterprises to supplement cotton and/or a shift to alternative enterprises that may completely exclude cotton from individual farm programs. In view of these considerations and of the present importance of cotton in this area, a study of cotton production practices in * The research on which this report is based was made possible by funds provided by the Purnell Act of 1925. The Department of Agricultural Economics, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, assumed major responsibility for conducting the study under provisions of a cooperative agreement between the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, United States Department of Agriculture. ** The author is indebted to the farmers who furnished the information upon which this study is based. For helpful suggestions throughout the study, special acknowledgement is due D. G. Sturkie, Agronomist; H. B. Tisdale, Plant Breeder; F. S. Arant, Entomologist; staff members of the Department of Agricultural Economics of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station; and E. L. Langsford, Agricultural Economist, Bureau of Agricultural Economics, U.S.D.A. 1 "United States Census of Agriculture, 1945, Alabama-Statistics for Counties," Vol. I, Part 21, Bureau of the Census: County Tables I and II, pp. 18-65. the Lower Coastal Plain Area was started in the summer of 1948 with a field survey being made in four counties - Covington, Houston, Monroe, and Pike, (cover).2 These four counties were selected as being representative of the Lower Coastal Plain Area. Major objectives of the study were: (1) To obtain current information on cotton production practices, (2) To ascertain variations in current cotton production practices with respect to type of power and equipment used, by size of cotton enterprises, (3) To interpret and evaluate the economic significance of current cotton production practices and techniques, and (4) To compare current cotton production practices with Experiment Station recommendations, and to emphasize points where improvement is needed. This report describes current practices used in producing cotton in the Lower Coastal Plain Area, indicates variations in these practices, and compares present practices with recommendations of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. Unless otherwise stated, all recommendations shown in this report were the same in 1951 as in 1947. Current production practices as described in this report are based on an analysis of farm records obtained by personal interview with 100 farmers who produced cotton in the Lower Coastal Plain in 1947. Approximately the same number of farms with small, medium, and large cotton enterprises were selected as representative of cotton enterprises in this area. For purposes of this study, the range in cotton acreage for each of the three groups was: small, less than 10 acres; medium, 10 to 29 acres; and large, 80 acres or more per farm, Appendix Table 2. Over three-fifths of all cotton producers in the Lower Coastal Plain Area of Alabama produced less than 10 acres of cotton per farm in 1944, Table 1. Farms with these small cotton enterprises accounted for 29 per cent of both the area's total cotton acreage and its total production. Farmers who produced 30 acres or more per farm made up only 5 per cent of the total cotton producers in this area. However, the cotton enterprises on these farms accounted for 28 per cent of the area's total cotton acreage, and 28 per cent of the total production of the area. SThis study is part of a larger over-all study that includes all of the major cotton-producing areas of Alabama. These areas include-Limestone Valleys, Sand Mountain, Upper Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Black Belt, and Lower Coastal Plain. [4] TABLE 1. DISTRIBUTION OF FARMS GROWING COTTON, ACREAGE HARVESTED, BALES PRODUCED, AND PRODUCTION PER ACRE, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1944' Size of cotton enterprise (Acres in cotton) Farms reporting. cotton Bales Lint produced cotton Total Per cent Total Per cent Total Percentproduced number of total number of total number of total per acre Acreage harvested No. Percent No. Percent No. Small (Less than 10 acres) Medium (10-29 acres) Large (30 acres or more) 10,988 6,130 896 61 34 5 56,805 84,033 55,043 29 48 28 84,735 52,062 34,129 Per cent Pounds 29 43 28 292 296 296 TOTAL (All farms) 295 S"Cotton Farms Classified by Acreage Harvested." (A special report prepared by the Bureau of the Census) National Cotton Council of America. Table 2, pp. 80-31. 1945. 18,014 100 195,881 100 121,026 100 Only minor variations occurred in the average yield of cotton per acre between the three size groups. In 1944, farms with small cotton enterprises produced an average of 292 pounds of lint per acre; farms with medium-sized and large cotton enterprises produced an average of 296 pounds per acre. DESCRIPTION o4 SAMPLE FARMS Some of the more important characteristics of sample farms that should be examined before evaluating cotton production practices include cropland organization and use, tenure of operators, labor organization, livestock organization, and degree of farm mechanization in existence, Table 2. Farms with small cotton enterprises were small in terms of both cotton acreage and total farm acreage in 1947. These farms averaged 96 acres in size, only 44 of which were cropland. Of the 44 acres of cropland, 6 were in cotton. Farms with medium-sized cotton enterprises in 1947 averaged 202 acres in size, 97 of which were cropland. Cotton acreage on these farms averaged 16 acres, or nearly three times as much as on farms with small cotton enterprises. Farms with large cotton enterprises, all of which were relatively large farm units, and which relied heavily on share cropper labor in 1947, averaged 497 acres in size. More than half of the acreage on these farms was cropland, averaging 287 acres per farm. These farms also had a large percentage of cropland devoted to cotton, averaging more than one-fifth of the total or about 62 acres per farm. [5] TABLE 2. LAND USE, AND CROPLAND, LIVESTOCK, AND FARM LABOR ORGANIZATION PER FARM, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Item Size of cotton enterprise Small Number 34 Acres 96 78 18 44 8 6.1 19.1 .0 13.1 1.7 4.5 Number 1.6 2.4 1.9 1.7 12.1 31.4 .1 .9 .2 .0 1.9 .6 .1 Medium Number 33 Acres 202 160 42 97 19 15.8 42.2 1.5 27.8 2.2 7.5 Number 8.0 4.0 7.5 2.8 22.2 48.9 .2 .8 1.0 .1 1.9 2.8 .4 Number of farms Land use: All land in farms Owned Rented in Total cropland Permanent pasture Cropland organization: Cotton Corn Small grain Peanuts Truck crops Other crops Livestock organization: Workstock Milk cows Other cattle Brood sows Other hogs Hens and pullets Tractors per farm, av. no. Labor organization: Families: Operator Cropper Wage hand Workers: Operator Cropper Wage hand xOperator's livestock only. Large Number 33 Acres 497 431 66 287 58 61.8 117.3 16.1 69.8 5.5 17.0 Number 7.0 6.7 13.5 4.5 85.1 48.8 .8 .7 8.4 .1 1.2 10.9 .3 In 1947, tractors were reported on 10 per cent of the farms with small cotton enterprises, on 20 per cent of the farms with medium-sized cotton enterprises, and on 80 per cent of those with large cotton enterprises. Farms with large cotton enterprises were the only group that used tractors extensively as the only source of power for producing cotton. In the two smaller enterprise groups, tractors when used, in most cases, were used only for breaking and preparing land for planting. In the large enterprise group, tractors, in many cases, were used to perform all cotton production operations except chopping, hoeing, and harvesting. Most farms with small- and medium-sized cotton enterprises [6] were family farms and were operated largely with workstock power and with family labor in 1947. Farms with large cotton enterprises depended heavily on share cropper and/or wage labor; tractors were often the principal source of power. In all cotton enterprise size groups, corn was relatively more important than any other crop from the standpoint of acreage. However, in all cotton enterprise size groups, peanuts were more important than cotton from the standpoint of acreage. All major livestock enterprises handled by operators in 1947 increased in size as the size of cotton enterprise increased. In no group, however, was livestock of major importance. In all groups, peanuts and cotton were the major cash enterprises. However, it should be recognized that the eastern half of the Lower Coastal Plain is the major peanut-producing area of Alabama and accounted for 85 per cent of the State's total peanut production in 1947.3 Nevertheless, cotton was the principal user of labor, power, and materials for all groups studied. With respect to land ownership in 1947, there was no consistent pattern formed by the three groups studied. Generally, farmers on farms with large cotton enterprises owned a larger percentage of the land they operated than did farmers with medium- and small-sized cotton enterprises. Farmers with large cotton enterprises owned 87 per cent of the land they operated; farmers with medium-sized cotton enterprises owned 79 per cent; and farmers with small cotton enterprises owned 81 per cent. Operators were not necessarily "owner operators." More than 76 per cent of the farms with small cotton enterprises and 86 per cent of the farms with medium-sized cotton enterprises were operated without cropper and/or tenant labor in 1947, whereas only 12 per cent of the farms with large cotton enterprises did without such labor. On the remainder of the farms, croppers alone, or various combinations of operators, croppers, and tenants supplied the labor for cotton production. COTTON PRODUCTION PRACTICES Based on the results of many years of research work and of field testing and observation, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station has developed a series of recommendations for producing cotton both economically and efficiently. Although some "Alabama Agricultural Statistics." Alabama Department of Agriculture, Division of Agricultural Statistics, cooperating with the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, U.S.D.A. February 1950. pp. 26 and 42. [7] recommendations are specific and others are general, most of them must be adapted to individual farms, to individual farm resources, and to the capabilities of individual farm operators. To facilitate an understanding and appraisal of the economic significance of current cotton practices and techniques, both present and recommended practices are given in this report for comparison and for determining needed practice adjustments. Present practices are based on the crop year 1947. Recommended practices as shown in this report, unless otherwise stated, were the same in 1951 as in 1947. Present and recommended practices are discussed by major operations including land preparation, seed and seeding rate, planting and spacing, fertilization, cultivation and weed control, insect control, and harvesting. Land Preparation Recommendations. The operations recommended for land preparation are those that will result in a good seedbed, good weed and grass control, conservation of moisture, and a good stand of cotton. On farms operated with workstock, land should be prepared by cutting stalks with a rolling stalk cutter or a disk harrow, and breaking with a moldboard or a disk plow to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Planting beds should then be laid off with a middlebuster early enough to allow them to be settled by rain. Just before planting, beds should be cultivated with a section harrow or drag. On tractor farms, crop residues may be leveled by use of a rolling stalk cutter or a disk harrow. After cutting stalks, the land should be broken with a moldboard or disk plow to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, and early enough to allow the ground to be settled by rain before planting begins. Flat-broken land should be harrowed with a disk harrow before planting. When a cover crop precedes cotton, care should be taken in timing the planting with respect to the time of turning the cover crop. Since germination of cotton planting seed may be seriously impaired or destroyed by coming into contact with fermenting material, cover crops should be turned 2 weeks or longer before planting to allow for completion of the fermentation process. An alternative is to plant immediately after turning the cover crop in order that cottonseed may germinate before fermentation begins. [8] Present Practices. On farms operated with workstock power in 1947, the usual procedure in preparing land was to cut stalks with a one-row stalk cutter followed by flat-breaking with a moldboard plow. Then, the flat-broken land was bedded with a middlebuster, Appendix Tables 5, 6, and 7. On farms operated with tractor power, the usual procedure in preparing land was to cut stalks with a two-row stalk cutter followed by flat-breaking with a four-disk plow. In most cases, the equipment used in preparing land in 1947 was the type recommended for such operations. However, since most of the cotton land normally was prepared between the middle of February and the last part of March, some farmers may not have allowed sufficient time for seedbeds to settle between the time land preparation was completed and the crop was planted. In addition, most farmers did not cultivate after flat-breaking. Such a practice often results in a loose seedbed, and may seriously affect the stand and yield of cotton. Seed, Seeding Rate, Planting, and Spacing Recommendations. A good variety of cotton should be a high yielder, and should have a good lint turnout, a staple length that is in demand, good strength and character. A relatively large boll facilitates hand picking and an early-maturing variety is desirable in the presence of insect infestation. The varieties that were recommended for this area in 1947 and that have most of these characteristics were Coker 100 Wilt, Stonewilt, Miller 610, Delta-Dixie, and Empire. Since 1947, Delta-Dixie has been deleted from the list of recommended varieties for this area, and Plains has been added. To insure a reliable source of seed, farmers should purchase seed of certified quality or better. The use of home-grown seed usually involves a greater possibility of contamination and mixing. Farmers, however, should not hesitate to save home-grown seed of high quality when proper precautions can be taken to preserve quality. The recommended planting rate for the Lower Coastal Plain Area is three-fourths to one bushel of non-delinted cottonseed per acre. The planting rate for mechanically delinted seed is onehalf to one bushel per acre. When using acid-delinted seed, approximately one-half bushel per acre is recommended. All cotton planting seed should be treated, but whether or not it is delinted is optional. Spacing recommendations are 12 to 18 inches between hills regardless of whether spaced by hill drop[9] ping or by hand chopping. A row of 36 to 48 inches is recommended. Cotton may be planted solid in the drill or hill dropped with one- or two-row planters. No yield difference has been observed between hill-dropped cotton and cotton planted solid in the drill, provided a uniform stand was obtained with both plantings. Cotton should be planted in the Lower Coastal Plain Area between March 25 and April 15. Present Practices. Planting rates in 1947 varied somewhat between farms with small, medium, and large cotton enterprises, depending on the method of planting (solid in the drill or hill dropped). The pounds of delinted and non-delinted seed planted per acre solid in the drill and hill dropped in 1947 are shown in Table 3. There was no significant difference between the amounts of TABLE 8. SEED, SOURCE, TREATMENT, AND METHOD AND RATE OF PLANTING COTTONBY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Item Number of farms Cotton planted Purchased seed: Proportion of farmers using Proportion of acreage planted Proportion of purchased seed: Delinted Treated Proportion of home-grown seed: Delinted Treated Delinted seed: Proportion of farmers using Proportion of acreage planted Proportion of acreage planted with delinted seed: Solid in the drill Hill dropped Proportion of acreage planted with non-delinted seed: Solid in the drill Hill dropped Pounds of seed per acre: Delinted: Hill dropped Solid in the drill Non-delinted: Hill dropped the Solid inri drill Unit Number Acres Size of cotton enterprise Small Medium Large 84 208 85 82 54 77 20 87 65 58 41 59 45 55 20 24 28 80 88 521 67 60 92 94 80 59 82 78 85 65 67 833 18 29 19 81 88 2,089 79 78 90 93 54 94 85 80 49 51 55 45 24 81 28 29 Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds [10 ] delinted and non-delinted seed planted per acre solid in the drill in 1947; nor was there any apparent relationship between size of cotton enterprise and amount of cottonseed planted per acre. A slightly smaller amount of seed was planted when hill dropped than when planted solid in the drill. More than two-thirds of the cotton acreage was planted with purchased seed although over three-fourths of the farmers interviewed used some purchased seed. Over 75 per cent of the purchased seed used in 1947 had been delinted and 86 per cent had been treated when bought. More than one-fourth of the home-grown seed was delinted. Approximately one-half of the home-grown seed used on farms with small- and medium-sized cotton enterprises was treated, whereas over nine-tenths of the seed used on farms with large cotton enterprises was treated. The most popular variety of cotton planted in 1947 was Coker. Other important varieties were Deltapine, Cook's, and Stoneville. The major proportion of home-grown seed was 3 years or more from breeder seed. The major proportion of purchased seed was 1 year from breeder seed and a small proportion was direct from the breeder. Generally, quality of cotton-planting seed was questionable in that 54 per cent of all seed planted by farmers was 1 year or less from the breeder. However, the quality of purchased seed planted by farmers was fair; 67 per cent of this seed was 1 year or less from the breeder, Appendix Table 3. Approximately 45 per cent of the cotton in the Lower Coastal Plain Area was planted solid in the drill and all of it was hand chopped to a stand in 1947. Most of the cotton planted solid in the drill on workstock farms was planted in 38- to 42-inch rows and spaced 12 to 13 inches in rows. On farms that used tractor power, cotton was planted in 40- to 41-inch rows and spaced 10 to 12 inches in the rows. Hill-dropped cotton on workstock farms was planted in 87- to 42-inch rows with 15- to 17-inch spacing between hills in the rows; on farms that used tractor power, hilldropped cotton was planted in 86- to 38-inch rows with 15- to 19inch spacing between hills in the rows. Farmers in the Lower Coastal Plain in 1947 were usually within the range of recommendations for planting, rate of seeding, variety, and method of planting and spacing. In a few cases, farmers planted less than the recommended amount for certain types of delinted and non-delinted seed. In addition, some farmers in all groups planted somewhat later than is recom[11 mended. The yield of cotton in 1947 apparently was not greatly influenced by these small deviations from recommendations. Later planting may affect attaining a stand, and may particularly affect yields when insect infestation is a problem. Fertilization Recommendations. In the Lower Coastal Plain Area, it was recommended in 1947 that cotton be fertilized with 36 to 48 pounds of nitrogen, 48 to 64 pounds of phosphoric acid, and 24 to 48 pounds of potash per acre at planting time. Where additional potash is needed, particularly following dug peanuts, 400 to 800 pounds of 6-8-8 or 4-10-7 should be used. In 1947, it was recommended that enough nitrogen be applied as a side-dressing to bring total nitrogen application up to the recommended rates. In 1951, cotton fertilizer recommendations were the same as in 1947 except that somewhat heavier applications of nitrogen were recommended. On tractor farms, the fertilizer may be applied with a fertilizer attachment on the planter. On workstock farms, either a distributor or planter attachment may be used. When applying fertilizer at planting time, it should be placed 2 inches below and to the side of the seed. Side-dressing may be applied with fertilizer attachments on cultivating equipment or with a distributor at about the time of the first or second cultivation after chopping. Present Practices. Some type of commercial fertilizer was used on all of the cotton planted in 1947 by the 100 farmers interviewed in the Lower Coastal Plain Area. The average rate per acre when only complete fertilizer was used varied from 437 pounds on farms with small cotton enterprises to 510 pounds on farms with large cotton enterprises. The average rate per acre for complete fertilizer where both complete fertilizer and sidedressing were used varied from 334 pounds on farms with large cotton enterprises to 364 on farms with medium-sized cotton enterprises, and the rate for side-dressing varied from 93 pounds on farms with small cotton enterprises to 105 pounds on farms with large cotton enterprises. Less than 85 per cent of the cotton acreage was fertilized with complete fertilizer only; the balance was fertilized with complete fertilizer in conjunction with some side-dressing. The most popular analysis was 4-10-7, although a considerable proportion of the acreage received 6-8-4, Table 4. On workstock farms, one-row distributors were used in fertilizing cotton in 1947, while on farms that used tractor power, [12] one- and two-row distributors and fertilizer attachments on cultivating equipment were used. On workstock farms, side-dressing was distributed by hand and with one-row distributors; on tractor farms, side-dressing was distributed with one- and two-row distributors. The amount of plant food in the fertilizer used in 1947 ranged from 26 to 28 pounds of N per acre, from 38 to 39 pounds of P 20 5, and from 28 to 26 pounds of K20. The approximate average per TABLE 4. FERTILIZER PRACTICES, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 LOWER COASTAL Item Number of farms Cotton planted Proportion using complete fertilizer only: Farms Acreage Proportion using complete fertilizer and side-dressing: Farms Size of cotton enterprise Unit Number Small 84 208 35 85 65 Medium 33 521 82 83 68 67 468 364 100 Large 33 2,089 Acres Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Pounds Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Pounds Pounds Pounds 42 44 58 56 510 8334 105 Acreage Rate of application where used: Complete only Complete and side-dressing: Complete Side-dressing Rate of application per planted acre: Complete Side-dressing Analysis of complete fertilizer: Proportion of acreage receiving: 4-10-7 6-8-4 Other Analysis of side-dressing: Proportion of acreage receiving2: Ammonium nitrate Sodium nitrate Other Summary of fertilizer elements: N per fertilized acre of cotton P2O5 per fertilized acre of cotton K2 0 per fertilized acre of cotton 65 437 856 93 385 61 66 84 9 397 70 411 59 76 30 2 77 13 15 0 65 5 27 88 26 5 57 10 26 38 23 4 49 2 28 89 26 1Summed percentages do not total the sum of percentages of acreage receiving complete only and complete with side-dressing, because some of the farmers used two complete fertilizers on the same acreage. 2 Summed percentages do not total the sum of percentages of acreage receiving complete fertilizer with side-dressing, because some farmers used more than one kind of side-dressing. [13J acre was: 27 pounds of N, 38 pounds of P 20 5, and 25 pounds of K20, Table 4. The over-all average rate of fertilizer application in 1947 indicates that Lower Coastal Plain farmers were considerably under the minimum recommended rate of 36 pounds of N, and 48 pounds of P 205 per acre for soils of this area. They were within the range of recommendations for K20 for cotton planted on land not following dug peanuts. Farmers in the Lower Coastal Plain Area of Alabama need to increase cotton fertilization rates of nitrogen and phosphate to the amounts recommended. Fertilization rates of potash also need to be increased, particularly on cotton following dug peanuts. Farmers may increase yields by using more fertilizer, and may reduce labor requirements by using fertilizer attachments on planting and cultivating equipment for applying fertilizers. Cultivation a#d Weed Control Recommendations. Cultivation should begin just before cotton comes up or just after it is up to a good stand. Cotton should be cultivated to a depth of 1 to 3 inches with one- or two-row cultivators with sweeps. Cultivation should be continued throughout the crop's normal growing season as often as is necessary to control weeds and grass. Cotton should be chopped when it is up to a stand and after permanent leaves are present. Chopping should allow spacing of 12 to ,18 inches between hills with two to three stalks per hill. If grass and weeds cannot be controlled by cultivation, hoeing may be necessary. Present Practices. On workstock farms in 1947, cultivation was usually accomplished with half-row equipment; on tractor farms, one- and two-row equipment was used. On the average, cotton was cultivated about seven times. It was chopped once, and on an average, hoed twice. Farmers who used workstock in 1947 may be able to reduce materially both labor requirements and costs of production by using one-row cultivating equipment instead of using half-row and combinations of half-row equipment with other sizes. Earlier cultivation should reduce the number of times that cotton needs to be hoed. As a whole, farmers in 1947 were using recommended types of cultivating equipment, Appendix Table 7. Insect Control Recommendations. The following materials were recommended for general use in control of cotton insect pests in 1951: [141 Insecticide 3 per cent gamma BHC-5 per cent DDT, or Lb. per acre 10 15 Application When 25 per cent infestation at 5-day intervals until top bolls are mature; during migration at 4-day intervals. Same as above. Same as above. Same as above. Same as above. Same as above. 20 per cent toxaphene, or Calcium arsenate alternated with 3 per cent gamma BHC-5 per cent DDT, or Calcium arsenate 10 7 - 15 10 15 10 15 10 -7 10 - alternated with calcium arsenate containing 2 per cent nicotine With added precautions, these materials may be used: (1) A mixture of 2.5 per cent aldrin - 5 per cent DDT, or (2) 1.5 per cent dieldrin - 5 per cent DDT. These materials have not been tested as long as have other cotton poisons, but they have given good results for 2 years in experimental tests. They are recommended only for tractor or airplane spraying. For bollworm control, apply 10 per cent DDT or 20 per cent toxaphene at the rate of 15 pounds per acre. If a good boll weevil control program is followed, bollworms are not likely to become numerous. Except where stated, cotton poisons may be applied as a dust or as a spray. Dust may be put on with hand, mule-drawn, tractor, or airplane equipment. Dusting should be done when the air is still and when the cotton plants are dry. Spray may be applied by tractor or airplane, but row width must be taken into consideration when tractor poisoning equipment is used, since this equipment is usually designed for specific row widths. The amount of diluted spray used to cover an acre may vary from 2 to 10 gallons. The correct amount of poison to use per acre for each application (regardless of volume of spray) is as follows: 1/ to 1/2 pound of gamma isomer BHC plus 1/2 or more pounds of DDT. 2 to 2 pounds of technical toxaphene. 1/4 pound aldrin plus 1/ pound of DDT. 1/5 pound dieldrin plus 1/ pound of DDT. Calcium arsenate is effective only as a dust. Insecticides should be applied while plants are setting and maturing the crop, and when the number of squares punctured indicates 25 per cent or more infestation. After starting, poisoning should be repeated at 5-day intervals until the top bolls are [ 15] mature. During a normal year, six to seven effective applications should be enough; more applications may be needed during seasons of heavy infestation and/or frequent rainfall. The recommendation for boll weevil control in 1947 was calcium arsenate at a rate of 8 to 10 pounds per acre. The time and frequency of application was the same as that shown for other poisons in 1951 recommendations. The difference between 1947 and 1951 cotton poisoning recommendations was due to the fact that in 1947 the newer insecticides that were recommended in 1951 had not undergone the extensive testing necessary to obtain conclusive evidence of their effectiveness. Present Practices. In the Lower Coastal Plain Area, approximately 28 per cent of the acreage received one or more applications of poison in 1947. Most of the cotton acreage received two applications, but only a very small proportion of the cotton acreage received more than three applications of poison during the growing season. The rate of application ranged from 6 to 17 pounds of calcium arsenate per acre. Approximately 32 per cent of the farmers interviewed had poisoned their cotton 1 or more years in the last 10 years, but few had poisoned more than 3 years during this period. Method a d Time o Harvesting Recommendations. Cotton if hand harvested should be picked immediately after the bolls are open and dry. Precautions should be taken to prevent picking wet or green cotton. It should be picked as clean as possible, and usually it will require three pickings during the harvest season. Harvesting dates in the Lower Coastal Plain Area are usually from about August 15 to November 1. Present Practices. All of the cotton harvested on the farms surveyed in 1947 was hand picked. Farmers averaged picking their cotton fields in 1947 about three times. Over three-fourths of the cotton was harvested with family labor. The highest proportion of hired labor used for harvesting was found on farms with large cotton enterprises, ranging from 24 per cent on farms with small- and medium-sized enterprises to 34 per cent on farms with large cotton enterprises. The seed cotton required to make a 500-pound gross-weight bale of cotton in 1947 was about 1,430 pounds, Appendix Table 4. Farmers were following harvesting recommendations in 1947. [16] Cotton fields were picked over two to four times with an average of three times. Picking began in August, but most of the cotton was picked in September and October. Over two-fifths of the total labor required to produce an acre of cotton in 1947 was required for harvesting. Harvesting requirements can be reduced on some farms by picking thoroughly a minimum number of times. LABOR aad POWER REQUIREMENTS High labor and power requirements for cotton production are major factors that limit the most efficient and profitable production of cotton in this area. The following estimates indicate the relative importance of usual labor and power costs to total costs of producing cotton. On workstock farms power costs amount to approximately 14 per cent of total production costs and labor costs amount to approximately 54 per cent of the total. Thus, power and labor costs make up more than two-thirds of the cost of producing cotton on workstock farms. On tractor farms power costs are about 10 per cent of total production costs and labor costs amount to about 88 per cent of the total. Therefore, on tractor farms power and labor make up roughly one-half of the cost of producing cotton. Power requirements are greatest for land preparation, planting and cultivating, while labor requirements are greatest during the chopping, hoeing, and harvesting seasons. With power and labor costs making up from one-half to over two-thirds of the cost of producing cotton, any sizable reduction in power and labor requirements, should both increase efficiency and decrease costs of producing cotton. Use o Power The use of different kinds and combinations of power varied greatly in 1947 among the farms surveyed. Of the 100 farms, 61 used workstock only, 31 used both workstock and tractors (combination farms), and 8 used tractors only, Table 5. The largest proportion of tractors were found on farms with large cotton enterprises where 18 per cent used tractors only for power. These farms accounted for 28 per cent of the total cotton acreage in this area. [17] TABLE 5. DISTRIBUTION OF FARMS, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, AND BY TYPE OF POWER USED, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Type of power Size of cotton enterprise group Small Number Per cent 71 23 6 100 Number 26 7 0 33 Medium Per cent 79 21 0 100 Large Per Numher cent 11 16 6 33 33 49 18 100 Workstock farms 1 Combination farms Tractor farms TOTAL 24 8 2 34 Farms which used both workstock and tractors as sources of power. Usual Labor Requirements The amount of man labor used in 1947 to produce cotton in this area varied from 73 hours per acre on tractor (cropper) farms with large cotton enterprises to 104 hours per acre on workstock farms with medium-sized enterprises. Approximately 40 hours of animal power or 9 hours of tractor power were required to produce an acre of cotton, Appendix Tables 5 and 6. In comparing labor requirements for various operations among different size and tenure groups in 1947, chopping and hoeing, and harvesting were considered separately, since these operations required a relatively large amount of labor and varied widely among size and tenure groups. Chopping and hoeing required more than a fifth of the total man labor needed to produce an acre of cotton; harvesting required over two-fifths of the total. Workstock farms with large cotton enterprises were more efficient in use of labor than were farms with small- and medium-sized cotton enterprises. No significant differences were found on workstock, combination, and tractor farms in 1947 between operator and cropper operations other than in labor used in chopping, hoeing, and harvesting. The differences that occurred in these operations were for the most part due to an additional time over for hoeing and picking. These differences were also closely associated with variations in yield. Appendix Table 5 shows that, in general, less man labor was required in 1947 on workstock farms with large cotton enterprises than on workstock farms with small- and medium-sized cotton enterprises. This difference was due chiefly to labor requirements of the pre-harvest operations. Pre-harvest man labor requirements on farms with small- and medium-sized cotton enterprises may be reduced by the substitution of larger equipment. [18J Appendix Table 5 indicates that in 1947 man labor requirements were much less on farms that used tractor power in preharvest operations (chopping and hoeing excluded) than on those that used workstock power. The wide differences between pre-harvest labor and power requirements between workstock and tractor farms may be reduced approximately 50 per cent by the substitution of mechanical power with large equipment for workstock power and small equipment. Considerable differences were found in labor requirements between farms with large cotton enterprises and those with smalland medium-sized cotton enterprises in 1947. The operators of farms with large cotton enterprises were able to make better use of machinery and equipment and thus reduce man labor requirements. Usual labor requirements, assuming that all cotton is hand picked, indicate that tractor power may reduce total man labor requirements only about 22 per cent, but may reduce pre-harvest labor requirements approximately 80 per cent. This indicates that a man with a tractor probably can plant and cultivate nearly four times the acreage that a man with workstock can handle. Time o Operation Proper timing of production operations may mean the difference between success and failure in cotton production. During a year in which normal weather conditions prevail, a cotton grower usually has no difficulty in timing production operations to produce a crop. However, when adverse weather conditions occur, those farmers who are equipped to cover large acreages in a short time have a great advantage. Land preparation in this area usually begins in January with preparation of the seedbed. Cotton, for the most part, is planted during April. In the Lower Coastal Plain Area, peak labor requirements normally occur during May because of requirements for chopping and hoeing, and during September and October, which are peak harvest months. Variation j5 om Usual Operations A wide variety of machinery and equipment of varying sizes was used in producing cotton in the Lower Coastal Plain Area in 1947. The greatest variation was found in types of equipment used for land preparation and for cultivation, Appendix Table 7. However, these variations are important chiefly from the standpoint of saving labor rather than from quality of work. (19] Variations in Time Required th Perform Usual Operations The methods of performing usual operations that saved the greatest amount of labor in 1947 were selected for comparison with the more common methods used in performing the same operations. These greater labor-saving methods on workstock farms required 87 hours of man labor and 39 hours of animal work to produce and harvest an acre of cotton yielding 216 pounds of lint in 1947, Table 6. This represented a saving of nearly 6 man hours or 6 per cent of usual requirements. TABLE 6. SELECTED VARIATIONS FROM USUAL IN PER ACRE LABOR REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCING COTTON USING ANIMAL-DRAWN EQUIPMENT, WITH COMPARISONS, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Size of equipment Times over No. Hours per acre Man Animal Truck Hr. 1.0 3.4 1.5 2.6 2.0 2.0 9.0 23.6 45.2 Hr. 2.0 6.8 8.0 5.2 1.8 1.8 18.0 .0 88.6 .0 .0 38.6 1 Hr. .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 1.6 1.6 Cut stalks Flat-break Bed Cultivate beds Plant Fertilize Cultivate Chop and hoe TOTAL PRE-HARVEST Harvest Haul TOTAL 2-row cutter 2-horse moldboard plow 2-horse middlebuster Drag 1-row planter 1-row distributor 1-row cultivator Hoe 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 2 Hand Truck or trailer 3 40.0 1.6 86.8 Comparison (usual total) Labor and power saved Per cent labor and power saved was not considered; it would add a small amount of time to the total requirements. 'Poisoning 92.4 5.6 6.1 88.5 -. 1 .0 1.6 .0 .0 With tractor power and using primarily two-row equipment, approximately 72 hours of man labor and 6 hours of tractor work were required to produce an acre of cotton in 1947, Table 7. This represents a saving of 3 man hours or 4 per cent of usual requirements. The saving in tractor hours was 2 hours or 24 per cent of usual requirements. Savings in man and power hours through use of larger equipment and by shifting to the use of more tractor power are of major importance in reducing both labor and power costs of producing cotton. [E201 TABLE 7. SELECTED VARIATIONS FROM USUAL IN PER ACRE LABOR REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCING COTTON USING TRACTOR-DRAWN EQUIPMENT, WITH COMPARISONS, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Item Size of equipment Times over Hours per acre' Tractor Truck Man No. Hr. Hr. Hr. Cut stalks Flat-break Cultivate flat-broken 2-row cutter 4-disk plow Disk harrow 2-row planter-distr. 2-row cultivator 1 1 1 1 5 .4 .8 .6 .6 8.5 .4 .8 .6 .4 3.5 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 land Plant and fertilize Cultivate Side-dress Chop and hoe TOTAL PRE-HARVEST 1-row distributor Hoe 1 2 .5 23.6 80.0 .3 .0 6.0 .0 .0 .0 Harvest Haul TOTAL Hand Truck or trailer 3 __ 40.0 1.6 71.6 74.6 3.0 4.0 .0 .0 6.0 7.9 1.9 24.1 .0 1.6 1.6 1.6 .0 .0 Comparison (usual total) Labor and power saved Per cent labor and power saved total requirements. 'Poisoning was not considered; it would add a small amount of time to the and Possibilities of Limitations and Effects of Mechanization, Further Changes The Lower Coastal Plain Area will probably continue as one of the major cotton-producing areas of Alabama. Row crop cultivation with mechanical equipment is relatively more difficult in the Lower Coastal Plain Area than in many other sections of the State. Small fields can often be combined into larger fields; small farms can often be combined to form larger farms; and, following this, increased mechanization may take place. However, when topography is not suitable for the use of tractor power and mechanical cultivating equipment, and on small subsistence farms operated with workstock power, cotton is likely to continue to remain a chief source of cash farm income. The shift to mechanized farming will require that certain adjustments in production practices be made because of physical limitations of the mechanical equipment now available. Wellplanned field layouts will aid in reducing both labor and power SPrepared on the basis of information furnished by the Agricultural Engineering Department, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. [21] requirements of many operations performed with machines in the future. Each farmer should select the land on his farm that is best adapted to production of cotton and on this acreage follow practices that will result in the most efficient use of machinery and equipment. The following practices must be emphasized: 1. Leveling of the fields and construction of broad type terraces to accommodate all tractor operations. 2. Elimination of hedge rows to increase size of fields and construction of broad drainage channels which can be crossed with tractor equipment. In preparing land, it is essential that cotton stalks be well shredded or broken up to obtain efficient use of planting and cultivating equipment during subsequent operations. The use of either horizontal- or vertical-type cutters is satisfactory for this operation. However, when green stalks are present, the power-driven, rotary-type cutter is more efficient in handling this material. By performing this operation as soon after harvesting as possible, a protective covering for the soil may be obtained, and decay of stalks and insect control may be aided. Since the type of seedbed preparation influences subsequent mechanized operations, a well-prepared seedbed is of utmost importance. The soil should be thoroughly broken to a depth of at least 6 inches, using a moldboard or disk plow well in advance of planting time. After breaking, a firm seedbed may be developed through the use of harrows and/or cultipackers. The planting operation will be of particular importance on those farms on which mechanical harvesters are used, because some mechanical cotton harvester manufacturers have designed their equipment to operate best at a standard row spacing of 40 inches. Insect control has become increasingly important in this area due to an increase in insect infestation during the last few years. Sprayers and dusters are equally effective equipment for applying insect control materials. Tractor fenders may be necessary to reduce damage to rank cotton. If Lower Coastal Plain farmers use mechanical harvesters, defoliation will be an important phase in cotton production. It may also be profitable on hand-picked cotton. It has been found to reduce boll rot and to facilitate hand picking. The conventional cotton duster can be used to apply defoliants which are put on at recommended rates per acre. Defoliation is done when most of the cotton bolls are mature. Defoliants should be applied either S22 ] in late evening or early morning since contact with moisture is essential for maximum effectiveness. Although the use of mechanical equipment now available requires some adjustments in cotton production practices, the labor saving aspects of mechanization make a further shift to mechanization appear desirable. On most cotton farms of the Lower Coastal Plain Area, a high degree of mechanization is likely to come slowly, even in the face of short labor supplies, high prices, and good demand for cotton. Mechanical equipment that is currently used in other cotton-producing areas is not satisfactory for extensive use in the Lower Coastal Plain Area of Alabama. This is particularly true of those machines required for chopping and hoeing, and for harvesting the crop. Saving man labor will not necessarily mean that cotton can be produced more profitably. The relative costs of labor and machinery together with the possible effects of mechanical harvesting on cotton quality and price will determine for individual producers how much machinery to substitute for labor and workstock power. SUMMARY and CONCLUSIONS The Lower Coastal Plain Area is among the principal cottonproducing areas of Alabama. In view of the importance of cotton in this area, high production costs, high labor requirements, and other major problems facing cotton producers, a study was begun in the summer of 1948 with a field survey in four counties selected as representative of the Lower Coastal Plain Area to (1) obtain current information on cotton production practices, and (2) to compare current cotton production practices with Experiment Station recommendations in order to point out where improvement is needed. In most cases, the equipment used in preparing land in 1947 was the equipment recommended. However, there is a possibility that costs can be decreased and efficiency increased through use of larger equipment on some farms, particularly on workstock farms. Most of the land was prepared between the middle of February and the last part of March. Farmers did not usually cultivate flat-broken land prior to planting. A better seedbed may be obtained by breaking land earlier, cultivating it, and thus allowing more time for it to settle before planting. The more popular varieties of cotton in 1947 were Coker, Deltapine, Cook's, and Stoneville. Farmers were within the range of [23 recommendations for seeding rates; no relationship was observed between size of cotton enterprise and seeding rates, but a slightly smaller quantity of seed was used when hill dropped than when planted solid in the drill. Also, some farmers planted somewhat later than the dates recommended. More than two-thirds of the acreage was planted with purchased seed. More than 87 per cent of all seed was treated. Improvement in the quality of planting seed, further seed treatment, and planting somewhat earlier may help to increase cotton yields. Although some hill dropping was done, all cotton was hand chopped and hoed in 1947. More frequent and thorough cultivation may decrease the number of times that hoeing is necessary and reduce hoe-labor costs accordingly. Although all cotton was fertilized with some type of commercial fertilizer in 1947, applications per acre were considerably below recommended rates. To improve the per-acre yield of cotton, farmers need to increase fertilizer applications of nitrogen and phosphate to recommended rates. Additional potash may be needed on cotton following dug peanuts. The costs of fertilizer applications may be decreased by using fertilizer attachments on planting and cultivating equipment. Implements used for cultivation and weed control in 1947 were in most cases the types of equipment recommended. There is a possibility that costs of performing these operations may be reduced by using larger equipment, and by cultivating earlier and more frequently to decrease hand-labor requirements for hoeing. Farmers who poisoned in 1947 were using calcium arsenate at approximately recommended rates; in 1947, slightly over 2 per cent of the total acreage was poisoned. Recommendations as to frequency of poisoning were not closely adhered to. Improvements have been made in cotton insecticides since 1947, and if cotton yields are to be maintained or increased, current poisoning recommendations should be followed when insect infestation is a problem. Farmers were following recommended harvesting practices in 1947; the majority picked their cotton an average of three times over. On some farms, harvest labor may be reduced by picking thoroughly a minimum number of times. Experimental results have shown that there are possibilities of reducing harvest-labor requirements with mechanical strippers. Before this practice can become economical, however, mechanical strippers, and cleaning and ginning equipment will have to be improved to prevent or offset the loss in grade of machine-stripped cotton. [24] Power and labor requirements for producing cotton in the area were relatively high in 1947. Many farmers in this area may reduce requirements through increased and efficient utilization of equipment already available on farms. When conditions permit a shift to the use of more mechanical power, additional savings in power and labor requirements may be achieved. The use of two-row equipment instead of smaller equipment on workstock farms may lower production costs and raise efficiency. Cotton growers are faced today with the problem of the extent to which they should substitute machinery for man labor under existing economic conditions. The extent to which these shifts should be made on individual farms will depend on the topography of cotton land on these farms, future government-control programs, and relative costs of machinery and labor. [25 ] APPENDIX TABLE 1. ESTIMATED ACREAGE, YIELD, AND PRODUCTION LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1928-47' OF COTTON, Year 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 19387 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 Acreage 1,000 acres 754.8 797.5 783.8 708.3 547.7 634.6 457.4 491.9 502.3 602.7 430.8 449.8 427.1 383.9 335.2 263.5 199.3 204.4 197.4 194.3 Yield per acre Pounds 119 141 219 192 135 139 207 248 234 268 255 130 164 165 180 244 297 255 157 209 Production 1,000 bales 187.2 235.5 358.4 284.8 154.4 184.6 198.0 255.6 246.3 337.3 230.1 122.0 146.1 132.4 126.5 134.7 123.8 108.9 65.0 85.2 SSource: "Alabama Cotton, Estimated Acreage, Yield, and Production, 19281947." Bureau of Agricultural Economics, U.S.D.A., cooperating with Division of Agricultural Statistics, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. NUMBER OF FARMS AND ACRES OF COTTON, BY TYPE OF APPENDIX TABLE 2. POWER USED, AND BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Type of power used Workstock Number Acres cotton farms Number Small (84)': Operator Cropper Tenant Medium (8833)': Operator Cropper Tenant Large (3388)1: Operator Cropper Tenant 20 5 0 16 16 1 6 7 0 Acres 111 32 0 194 197 6 165 341 0 Combination Number Acres cotton farms Number 8 2 0 5 3 0 7 16 2 Acres 44 11 0 81 43 0 207 983 105 Tractor Number Acres cotton farms Number 1 1 0 0 0 0 8 6 0 Acres 4 7 0 0 0 0 39 199 0 'Number of schedules included in survey. [26] APPENDIX TABLE 8. VARIETIES AND QUALITIES OF COTTONSEED PLANTED, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Item Number of farms Cotton planted Proportion of purchased seed by 1 Size of cotton enterprise Unit Small Medium Large Number Acres Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 84 208 58 7 4 8 6 22 26 19 28 0 18 14 87 9 17 87 5 88 521 27 80 9 18 4 12 88 2,089 41 80 0 5 15 9 85 40 11 7 7 0 14 47 33 6 5 varieties: Coker Deltapine Cook's Stoneville All other Mixed seed Proportion of home-grown seed by varieties:' Coker Deltapine Cook's Stoneville All other Mixed seed Years from breeder: Home-grown seed: 1 year 2 years 8 years and over Not known Purchased seed: Direct from breeder 19 29 0 0 26 26 9 86 44 11 16 1 year 2 years 8 years and over Per cent Per cent Per cent 44 11 12 64 6 0 80 2 0 Not known Per cent 28 14 13 SVarieties listed are those that were most commonly used in 1947. APPENDIX TABLE 4. COTTON HARVESTING PRACTICES, YIELD OF LINT COTTON PER ACRE, AND SEED COTTON PER 500-POUND BALE, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 ISize Number of farms Acres harvested Proportion of cotton: of cotton enterprise Small Number Acres 85 208 Medium 8 521 Large 8833 2,089 Hand picked Proportion of cotton hand picked by: Family labor Per cent Per cent 100 76 100 76 100 66 Hired labor Bales produced Lint yield per acre Seed cotton per 500-lb. bale (27] Per cent Number Pounds Pounds 24 86 206 1,488 24 215 206 1,422 34 991 243 1,421 APPENDIX TABLE 5. MAN LABOR REQUIREMENTS PER AcRE FOR PRODUCING COTTON, BY USUAL OPERATIONS PERFORMED, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, AND BY TYPE OF POWER USED, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Size of cotton enterprise by Man labor used per acre by specified operations Number o Land preparation 'Bdri oeandeHal of (No.) ut Plant break fiat- d Fert ide- " C.ulti- ~ Co he vs Toa powers groupsbreak (Man hours per acre) 22.4 10.8 22.4 WORKSTOCK FARMS: Small: 00 S Medium: Operator Cropper' Operator Cropper' (20) (5) 1.4 .0 1.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.7 .0 2.0 12.5 23.6 23.6 40.8 33.9 42.4 1.6 1.6 2.9 1.6 2.9 1.6 2.9 1.6 89.3 78.8 103.6 96.0 90.3 96.0 75.1 72.8 (17) (16) 6) 7) .0 1.4 1.4 .4 .6 4.8 3.4 3.4 1.2 .8 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.7 22.4 19.6 14.0 23.6 12.5 23.6 36.1 43.0 44.8 Large : Operator Cropper' TRACTOR FARMS : Large : Operator Cropper' 2 ( 3) ( 6) .6 7 2 2 .5 .5 4.0 23.6 41.9 3.5 23.6 41.5 Tenants were combined with croppers. Planting and fertilizing equipment were operated on the same tractor and at the same time. APPENDIX TABLE 6. POWER REQUIREMENTS PER ACRE FOR PRODUCING COTTON, BY USUAL OPERATIONS PERFORMED, BY TON ENTERPRISE, AND BY TYPE OF POWER USED, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Size of cotton Power used per acre by specified operations SIZE OF COT- Number enterprise by rcrs pwr powerbreak groups recods o utLe Land preparation Bd break Chop Plant Fen stalks Flat- after flat-ho 3.0 3.0 lize Sidedress Cetivate and ho Harvest Haul Total (No.) WORESTOCK FARMS : (Power requirements [hrs. J per acre) - Small: Operator Cropper2 (20) ( 5) (16) (17) ( 6) ( 7) 2.8 .0 6.8 6.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 .0 22.8 21.6 22.4 22.4 - 1.6' 1.6' 42.3 86.6 44.4 S Medium: Operator Cropper2 2.8 .0 2.8 6.8 4.8 6.8 3.0 3.0 8.0 3.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 .0 .0 .0 -- 5.83 1.6' -- -- 85.4 Large: Operator Cropper2 TRACTOR FARMS : 2.8 6.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 19.6 14.0 - 5.83 1.6' 41.6 33.5 -- -- Large: Operator 4.0 .4.3 .4 .3 3.5 .5' .8 .6 ( 6) Truck or car power. combined with croppers. 3Workstock power. Planting and fertilizing equipment were operated on the same tractor and at the same time. ( 3) Cropper2 1.2 5.8' 1.6' 12.1 7.3 'enswere APPENDIX TABLE 7. AVERAGE ANNUAL USE AND RATES oF PERFORMANCE FOR SPECIFIED OPERATIONS IN PRODUCING TYPE OF EQUIPMENT USED, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 19471 COTTON, BY Oprtin yerome Fam uFrsin sioperatispeormed b usn szofeupetue Number Cut stalks: 1-row cutter 2-row cutter 1-row cutter 2-row cutter Disk harrow 0- TmsAnnual Acres Times cov'd ovr Number 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Acres 28.5 15.1 54.4 16.0 25.0 use Hours used Hours 82.9 15.1 21.8 6.4 15.0 Acres per 1-or day Acres 7.1 10.0 25.0 25.0 16.7 One time over Man hours Mule hours Tractor hours per acre per acre per acre Hours 1.4 1.0 .4 .4 .6 Hours 2.8 2.0 Hours (mule) (mule) (tractor) (tractor (tractor 40 19 8 5 3 .4 .4 .6 Flat-break: Moldboard: 1-bottom (1-mule) 1-bottom (2-mule) Disk harrow (mule) Disk harrow (tractor) Disk tiller (tractor) Disk plow (tractor): 2-disk 4-disk Cultivate flat-broken land: Disk harrow (tractor) Bed after flat-break: 1 time to row (mule) 2 times to row (mule) 29 52 3 15 15 4 7 19 73 6 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.4 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.0 1.0 16.8 19.2 29.0 27.3 22.7 19.2 20.1 21.9 17.5 11.2 80.6 65.8 29.0 26.7 30.0 28.8 20.9 14.5 26.2 37.6 2.1 2.9 10.0 14.3 8.3 10.0 12.5 16.7 6.7 8.0 4.8 8.4 1.0 .7 1.2 1.0 .8 .6 1.5 8.3 4.8 6.8 2.0 .7 1.2 -. - 1.0 8 6 --. 3.0 6.6 (Continued) APPENDIX TABLE 7 (Continued). AVERAGE ANNUAL USE AND RATES OF PERFORMANCE FOR SPECIFIED OPERATIONS COTTON, BY TYPE OF EQUIPMENT USED, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 19471 IN PRODUCING Operations performed by size of equipment used Farms using Number Times over Number Annual use Hours Acres cov'd used Acres 26.0 13.8 33.7 8.5 Hours 59.8 78.1 242.6 28.7 89.3 11.0 86.4 11.0 11.8 87.1 9.5 12.7 36.0 42.2 8.5 v v Acres per 10-hour day Acres 4.3 1.9 1.4 3.8 6.2 14.3 5.6 20.0 25.0 5.6 20.0 25.0 5.0 5.9 33.3 +. -- One time over Man hours Mule hours Tractor hours per acre per acre per acre Hours Hours Hours 2.3 5.3 7.1 2.6 1.6 .7 Bed only: 1 time to row (mule) 3 times to row (mule) 4 times to row (mule) 3 3 8 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.3 4.6 10.6 14.2 5.2 1.6 __ Cultivate beds: Section harrow (mule) Lay off rows: Georgia stock (mule) 2-row cultivator (tractor) Plant: 1-row planter (mule) 1-row planter (tractor) 2-row planter (tractor) Fertilize: 1-row distributor (mule) 1-row distributor (tractor) 2-row distributor (tractor) Side-dress: Hand 1-row distributor (mule) 1-row distributor (tractor) 6 83 110 10 11 108 12 8 48 36 5 v 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 s v 55.8 15.7 20.2 21.9 29.4 20.6 28.7 31.8 18.0 24.8 28.2 .7 2.0 1.8 .5 .7 .6 2.0 .7 .6 2.0 1.7 .5 1.8 _~ .4 .5 .4 1.7 - .3 (Continued) APPENDIX TABLE 7 (Continued). AVERAGE ANNUAL USE AND RATES OF PERFORMANCE FOR SPECIFIED OPERATIONS COTTON, BY TYPE OF EQUIPMENT USED, LOWER COASTAL PLAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947' IN PRODUCING Operations performed by size of equipment used Farms using Number Times over Number 7.6 6.6 5.7 6.1 5.4 1.0 2.0 3.0 2.6 2.5 2.0 3.6 Annual use Hours Acres used cov'd Hours Acres 21.5 21.5 24.0 24.0 48.5 20.4 22.0 21.0 25.2 41.2 14.3 27.4 457.5 298.0 246.2 146.4 183.3 244.8 484.0 806.4 98.3 103.0 22.9 19.8 Acres per 10-hour day Acres 3.6 4.8 5.6 10.0 14.3 .8 .9 .8 6.7 10.0 13.0 50.0 One time over Man hours Mule hours Tractor hours per acre per acre per acre Hours Hours Hours 2.8 2.1 1.8 1.0 .7 12.5 11.1 12.5 1.5 1.0 .8 .2 2.8 3.1 3.6 1.0 .7 Cultivate: '/2-row equipment (mule) -row and 1-row equip. (mule) 1-row equipment (mule) 1-row equipment (tractor) 2-row equipment (tractor) co 51 22 39 7 10 50 66 7 12 to Chop and hoe: 1 time over 2 times over 3 times over Poison: Hand 1-row duster (mule) 2-row duster (mule) 6-row duster (tractor) 4 3 8 1.0 1.6 .2 5.8_ Haul: 5.8 2.9 3.4 57.4 46 _ 19.8 Mule and wagon 1.62 6.2 1.6 36.5 22.8 80 I I Truck and/or car and trailer - ------ 1 Comparable types of equipment in all size and power groups were averaged to obtain rates of performance by type of equipment and specific operations. 2 Truck or car hours.